Eagle Pass leaders press for a second water source as Lake Amistad stays low

Eagle Pass officials said securing a second water source is an urgent legislative priority as Lake Amistad remains low and the Rio Grande is the community’s primary supply. Morris Lipson Jr., chairman of the Eagle Pass Waterworks System, told the joint workshop that the board is pursuing multiple options, including deep aquifer wells beneath Maverick County and a regional treatment (RO) plant to clean extracted water.

City and waterworks leaders said preliminary technical tests by state agencies and local engineers are promising and that exploratory drilling — which would test water quality and yield — could cost in the low‑single‑digit tens of millions of dollars. Meeting participants discussed planning‑level delivery and infrastructure estimates that attendees described in the discussion as spanning roughly $65 million to $75 million per year for some scenarios; officials said those were preliminary and would be refined in engineering studies.

Waterworks staff and legislators highlighted an available competitive grant (WSIG) with awards up to $21 million if an applicant qualifies. Officials asked local governments and partner agencies to prepare supporting materials — resolutions or letters of support — and to be ready to provide them quickly because application windows are limited. Representatives said they will continue technical coordination (including a follow‑up meeting with Laredo) to evaluate a regional approach and to scope an exploratory well and treatment plan.

Next steps: the waterworks and city staff said they will circulate technical updates and a list of specific asks (amounts and types of support) for each agency to consider before the next intergovernmental workshop.